About Digital Collections
What is Digitization?
Converting books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, analog tapes etc. into a digital format for presentation over the web. It can involve imaging, scanning text, transcribing and marking up text, taking analog audio or video tape and digitizing them. Once converted these materials can be used for teaching or research or to create an exhibit or edit material to publish on the web.
Special Collections now has three scanners and a training manual in digitization methods. It will support faculty and student digitization projects using library materials. We do not have a digital camera or personnel yet but we can already support some projects like the University of Calgary Our Roots project.
Dr. Alan Antliff CRC in the Dept. of History in Art has begun to work with Special Collections on an Anarchist Archives website. We will be scanning many pamphlets, posters and magazines for a virtual archive as well as creating a physical archive in the Libraries.
To give an idea of what is possible, Special Collections has created a few sample websites by digitizing materials.
The following projects can be found of the Special Collections Digital Collections page.
Examples of Scanned Manuscripts
Lydgate MS, Fall of Princes (digitized by student David Badke in 1996)
De Proprietatibus Rerum, Barthomoleus Anglicus (digitized with CLA, YCW program grant, summer 2004)
Example of a Scanned Early Book
Sancti Epiphanii ad Physiologum (digitized by student David Badke in September 2004)
Example of a Scanned Photograph Album
World War One Photographs (digitized on a UVic Work Study grant in 2003; database established by Martin Hofmann, 2004-05)
Example of a Scanned Sketchbook
JM's World War One Sketchbook (digitized on a UVic Work Study grant in 2002; database established by Martin Hofmann, 2004-05)
Examples of Imaging Projects
Sir William Orpen's Illustrated Letters (digitized with CLA, YCW program grant, summer 2004)
Maclure Architectural Drawings (digitized with CLA, YCW program grant, summer 2004 and finished by volunteer Kerry Mogg Sept. 2005; database established by Martin Hofmann, 2004-05)
Example of Text Imaging Projects
Robert Graves Diary (begun by Chris Petter and Linda Roberts as a study leave project in Oct. 2002; Elizabeth Grove-White SSHRC grant funding, 2005-2006; completed in 2006)
Opinions of... Negro Servitude, in the Province of Nova-Scotia (digitized with CLA, YCW program grant, summer 2004)